Black Friday Mania: the Perfect Hunting Ground for Cybercriminals
Black Friday has become synonymous with bargain hunting and flash sales - and for cybercriminals, it’s one of their busiest days of the year. With people distracted, excited, and online earlier and longer than usual, the conditions are perfect for phishing campaigns. Whether it’s a fake promo email, a “too good to be true” link, or a spoof of a trusted brand, the odds of someone being tricked increase.
With employees shopping online during work hours, rushed decision-making, and massive spikes in web traffic, cybercriminals can easily blend into the chaos. The combination of heightened online activity and reduced caution creates the ideal environment for phishing, fraud, and other cyber threats to thrive.
Why the risk spikes on Black Friday
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Attackers exploit the “urgency effect”
Limited-time offers and countdowns make people act quickly, reducing critical thinking and increasing impulsive clicks.
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Higher volume of transactional emails
Order confirmations, delivery notices, invoices, and payment verifications skyrocket, giving attackers more templates to imitate convincingly.
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Increase in payment-related scams
Fake failed-payment alerts or “verify your card details” messages blend in naturally during heavy shopping periods.
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Brand impersonation is easier
New or unknown domains may be spun up to mimic credible brands quickly. With so many promotions, fake ads on social media, malicious Google Ads, and cloned landing pages draw less suspicion.
Black Friday Requires a Layered Defense
How Secutec helps you stay safe
1. Secure your DNS layer with Secutec SecureDNS
Your network’s DNS requests are the doorway to the internet: when a user clicks a link, their device asks “Which IP is this domain?”. With Secutec SecureDNS:
- Every DNS request is forwarded to the SecureDNS server and checked against a continuously updated threat-intelligence database.
- If the domain is malicious or newly seen among threat feeds, the connection is blocked immediately, before a payload can be delivered.
- Remote users are also covered via the SecureDNS Agent.
- You can implement this layer in less than 60 minutes and it works alongside your existing firewall/antivirus stack.
2. Monitor for leaked credentials
If user account credentials are exposed (in data breaches, dark-web leaks, etc), attackers may use them to impersonate insiders, bypass MFA or gain initial foothold. By proactively monitoring for credentials leaks you can:
- Detect exposure early
- Force password resets or extra checks
- Reduce the risk of phishing leveraging compromised credentials
3. Build your human firewall via phishing simulations and training
Did you know that 1 in 4 employees fail to recognize phishing emails? Technology is vital - but employees remain the weakest link. Secutec’s service includes:
- Fully automated phishing simulation campaigns - send fake phishing emails, track responses, identify weak spots.
- Engaging training materials to help build a culture of cybersecurity awareness and resilience.
- Real time dashboards and metrics so you can measure progress and show ROI.
Full Risks & Solutions guide
This guide outlines the key cybersecurity risks during Black Friday - and the recommended solutions, tools, and preventive measures companies should implement.
Phishing & Social Engineering
Risk:
Attackers send fake Black Friday promotions, shipping notifications, invoices, or discount codes. These often lead to credential theft, malware, or fraudulent payments.
Solution:
- Deploy Secutec SecureDNS to block malicious domains before a page can load.
- Strengthen your human firewall through phishing simulations & training.
- Implement Leaked Credential Monitoring to detect compromised accounts early
Fake Webshops & Fraudulent Domains
Risk:
Cybercriminals create professional-looking fake shops mimicking Amazon, bol.com, Zalando, Coolblue and more. Users unknowingly enter payment data or credentials.
Solution:
- Use SecureDNS to block newly registered, suspicious, or known-malicious domains.
- Encourage employees to shop on known, verified sites only.
Malicious Ads & Social Media Scams
Risk:
Fraudulent ads on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Google promote “too good to be true” deals leading to malware or scam pages.
Solution:
- Block malicious advertising domains at DNS level with SecureDNS.
- Implement AdChain to track and report fraudulent ads on Meta and Google
- Train employees to avoid clicking sponsored ads and instead go directly to the retailer’s website.
Fake Mobile Shopping Apps
Risk:
Attackers publish fake discount or shopping apps that look real but contain spyware or malware.
Solution:
- Restrict installation of unverified apps on work devices.
- Promote downloading only from official app stores.
Formjacking & Web Skimming
Risk:
Hackers inject malicious code into the checkout pages of legitimate online shops to skim payment details.
Solution:
- Use SecureDNS to block call-outs to suspicious skimming servers.
- Advise employees to check for unusual behavior on payment screens.
Credential Stuffing & Account Takeovers
Risk:
Cybercriminals use leaked username and password combinations to break into online accounts - often unnoticed.
Solution:
- Enable Leaked Credentials Monitoring for employees and administrators.
- Force MFA where possible.
- Promote using unique passwords per platform.
Fake Delivery Notifications
Risk:
With millions of parcels being shipped, attackers send fake DHL/UPS/PostNL texts and emails containing malicious links or attachments.
Solution:
- Use SecureDNS to block the domains behind fake tracking links.
- Never follow tracking links received via SMS.
Malware & Ransomware via Fraudulent Invoices
Risk:
Fake PDFs, ZIP files or order confirmations are common malware vehicles during Black Friday.
Solution:
- SecureDNS blocks the command-and-control servers malware connects to.
- Ensure endpoint protection is updated.
- Train staff to avoid opening attachments from unknown senders.
Deals don’t sleep. But neither should your cybersecurity. As shoppers rush for limited-time offers this Black Friday, phishing campaigns are ready in the wings. By combining technical defences such as SecureDNS, leaked credentials monitoring and human awareness via simulations and training, you significantly reduce your risk of being hit. At Secutec, we help you prevent now, secure tomorrow.